‘Sangria’ Salad with Grilled Peaches, Burrata & Basil

Posted by Your Personal Chef on August 1st, 2017

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and for this delicious summer salad, the seed was planted by one of my best friends. She was straight from the farmers market with an arm load of peaches, and hosting a lovely dinner party al fresco. On the table was a gorgeous pitcher of Red Sangria with peaches and basil, and a cheese platter with fresh Burrata cheese, diced peaches and cherries. She had originally wanted to grill the peaches for the cheese tray, but had trouble cutting them in half due to the pesky pit, and asked me if I had any tips. So, Laura, this one’s for you! I’ve tackled your peach pit woes, and turned your cheese board and cocktail hour into a super fresh salad with a red wine Sangria vinaigrette.

Peaches are absolutely delicious on the grill, but if you’re planning to cook up a batch, the best fruit to pick are actually the not-so-ripe firm peaches at the store. Here in New England, this usually isn’t a problem since the offerings in the produce section at most grocery stores most often are abundantly stocked with them. If the peaches are beautifully ripe, soft and juicy, skip the grill and just bite right into those and enjoy them for their rightful deliciousness. Getting back to our recipe tips, to halve a peach, gently run the blade of the knife around the peach following the line in the fruit from top to bottom, as you would an avocado. Hold the peach with a paper towel, and gently twist back and forth until one side releases. To remove the pit, give it a wiggle with your thumb and pointer finger, many time it will twist right out. If the pit is stubborn, place the peach half with pit on a cutting board and carefully trace around the pit with the tip of a paring knife. Work your way around the pit to scoop it out using a dessert or regular tea spoon (whatever you’d eat your cereal with, that has a slight point at the end of it, just not a round soup spoon…). There, now the pit should be out, and you have 2 grill-able halves. If the plan goes south, don’t cry, just cut the peach into quarters and move on.

Burrata cheese is a fresh cheese made from Mozzarella on the outside with a creamy center made of buffalo milk and cream. If you have trouble finding it in the store, feel free to use fresh mozzarella instead. When tearing some pieces of Burrata for the salad, be sure to catch any creamy insides in a bowl, and serve with crusty bread on the side.

Heat the grill to medium-low. Cut the peach in half, and remove the pit. Brush the peach with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Place the peaches, flat side down, onto the hot grill, and cook closed for 7-8 minutes or until just fork tender. Flip the peaches over, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove the peaches from the grill and allow to cool to room temperature. Slice into 1/4 inch thick wedges.

Tear the cheese by hand into bite sized pieces. It might get a little messy if using Burrata, so be sure to work over a bowl to catch and save any creamy insides.

Pat the salad greens dry, and place them onto a serving platter or bowl. Arrange the sliced peaches, freshly torn cheese, and basil on top of the greens. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Drizzle Red Wine Sangria Vinaigrette over top of the salad, and serve.

For Red Wine Sangria Vinaigrette:

1 Tbs. juicy red wine (like Garnacha, Pinot Noir or Primitivo)

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. prepared dijon mustard

1 tsp. honey or sugar

3 Tbs. olive oil

kosher salt and ground black pepper

Whisk together the wine, vinegar, honey or sugar and Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl until fully combined and honey or sugar is dissolved. Slowly stream 3 Tbs. olive oil into the wine mixture and whisk simultaneously until the vinaigrette is smooth and slightly thickened.